Honor Them
by Lyranfan
Summary: The anniversary of Scott's family deaths is around the corner Why is Scott having a much harder time coping this year?
1. Ch1: Car ride

Honor Them  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own the X-Men or X-Men Evolution or any other iterations  
  
Chapter 1: Car Ride  
  
Logan dialed the number quickly. "Is the bird ready like I asked? . . . We'll be there in 30 minutes." He hung up the phone on the kitchen wall and walked over to the young boy's chair and said "Slim, you're with me."  
  
Scott replied curtly, "For what? Where?" Logan leaned in close and whispered, "I'm not asking, I'm telling ya - get ready to go." Logan grabbed the keys to Scott's new car from the counter then disappeared into the hallway leading to the garage.  
  
The sixteen-year-old boy got up very slowly from the table where Ororo and Jean were sitting with him. His face was still red - flushed with anger and embarrassment over what spewed forth out of his mouth moments ago that prompted Logan's phone call. The young boy acted like he was searching for something - trying to delay and looking for an escape route, but he wasn't fooling anybody. There was no way for Scott to avoid this sudden trip with Logan after what just happened.  
  
Logan returned from the hallway with a quick stride and dragged Scott out to the garage without breaking his pace. Logan opened the driver's seat, pushed Scott in and dropped the keys in the boy's lap. "You drive, ya need the practice.."  
  
Scott started the car as Logan strapped in. "Where are we going?" Scott asked with more attitude then was wise. Logan looked off in the distance "To settle this once and for all. . . At the end of the driveway, turn left."  
  
The instructions that followed for the rest of the trip were short phrases; no other conversation took place. Scott didn't have to be a telepath to know this was not a good time to grill Logan for details.  
  
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Jean watched the car pull out of the driveway. She knew there were going to be severe fireworks between Scott and Logan soon. In two days it would be eight years ago that Scott lost his family in the terrible plane crash. Eight years - the same length of time Scott had been alive at the time of the accident.  
  
Jean and Scott had been studying to prepare for their pilot licenses as part of their training to become X-men. Recently Scott had become withdrawn, which was expected by the other residents of the Xavier Institute as the grim anniversary neared.  
  
This time was different; much worse then Jean could remember. Scott just wasn't quiet; he had become surly, angry - a virtual time bomb to anyone who crossed him in the slightest way.  
  
At first Scott was enthusiastic about the flight lessons, eager to live up to his father's reputation as an excellent pilot. But something triggered a dark mood in the young boy that grew quickly out of control.  
  
Jean had just tried to talk with Scott about his feelings regarding the anniversary but he told her in rather colorful terms to mind her own business. She had seen her friend get angry before and use coarse language, but there was a deep quality to this outburst that frightened her. She didn't sense any desire in him to apologize when he left with Logan.  
  
What struck her as odd was Logan seemed prepared for the incident. Jean didn't mean to pick up on Logan's thoughts but the emotions in the room ran high overpowering her normal shields and she knew her instructor had prepared this trip they were going on some time ago. He had hoped this trip might not be necessary, but she had picked up "no time like the present" and "it was best it took this long" on his way out the garage.  
  
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Pointing left, Logan said "Pull in here." It was a small airport and a plane appeared to be prepped by the runway. 'Jackson's Jumpers' was hand painted on the side of the trailer. Logan led the way into the trailer.  
  
A young man a little older then Scott greeted them with blank stare, then a smile. His shirt stated his name was James. "Mister Logan, we're ready if you and your guest would please fill out these release forms." Scott looked over the form - it was a standard waiver stating he would not sue Jackson Jumpers if injured or killed while parachuting. "What the. . . . " Scott started to object.  
  
"Sign it. Now." was Logan's reply. The elder mutant then asked James, "Where is your father?" The young man replied, "He's already at the pickup site. I gotta warn ya, he's pretty hot under the collar. But we're all set to go now, if you like." After a short hesitation and a meaningful look at Scott, James asked softly, "Are you sure you're ready?"  
  
Logan grunted, "It's as good a time as any other." He grabbed Scott by the arm and said "Give me the keys and help me get the gear out of the car." Scott dug his feet in looking Logan straight on, "Are we jumping or flying? What did I just sign my life away for?"  
  
Logan lifted Scott off the floor by his collar and carried him outside to the car. Logan dropped him, opened the trunk and lifted a large footlocker out of the car's trunk. "The answers to that and some other questions are coming very soon," was Logan's reply. Logan held the footlocker on the trunk ledge waiting for Scott to take his end.  
  
The young boy stood still, deep in thought. Since leaving the kitchen, Logan had used a tone in his voice Scott knew all to well. There were times when the instructor allowed questions from his two charges - what is the point to this, how much longer, is this really necessary. Other times Logan would stay tight-lipped, waiting for his students come to their own conclusions - right or wrong. This continued to be one of those stonewall moods.  
  
Scott grabbed the handle facing him, slammed down the trunk giving his shocks a good workout and followed his instructor into the plane. Logan pointed to a seat and ordered, "Strap in." The plane engines roared to life as Logan strapped the footlocker to the cabin floor.  
  
Please read and review - and send any grammar or spelling corrections  
  
Story is two chapters and one set of author notes. 


	2. Ch2: Plane ride

Honor Them  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own the X-Men or X-Men Evolution or any other iterations  
  
Chapter 2: Plane Ride  
  
As the plane quickly rose into the sky, a small voice in the back of Scott's head kept repeating the name of the clerk and the business name. James and Jackson. Why did Scott feel he should know that combination? It wasn't the name of anyone from Bayville he met the past 8 years. Logan interrupted his train of thought as he handed Scott the straps to secure his glasses for battle training. "On. Now." Logan barked. Scott closed his eyes shut and set the strap on his glasses hoping they would hold for what was to come.  
  
Shortly after attaining a level altitude, Logan got up and traveled to a cabinet near the cockpit. He returned with two parachutes and helmets. "Get up. Pay attention to how I put this on." Scott silently watched as his instructor pulled on the parachute then wiggled his head into the helmet.  
  
As Scott pulled on his chute, he looked towards the cabin and saw James walking out. James smiled at Scott's worried look and shouted above the engine noise "Autopilot! Good for 5 minutes!" James checked Logan's chute and straps for the proper fit. James went to the cabin door and opened it. Scott guessed he and Logan would jump from that very door soon as he looked out at the great expanse below. A small bead of sweat began to creep down his back. He began breathing exercises to try to control himself.  
  
James then spun Scott around so he was facing the cabin and walked Scott towards the open door. Scott watched James inspect his chute and straps as he heard Logan banging around the footlocker. Scott tried to look towards the footlocker, but James grabbed Scott's chin and locked his gaze down to the parachute straps. James shouted a simple set of instructions, "Logan opens first, then you. This one - if no good then this one." The primary chute and the backup. Scott was grateful he had taken the initiative to read ahead in the emergency procedures for flight training and knew some of this in theory.  
  
James clapped Scott on the shoulder, locked eyes with him for a brief moment, smiled then went back to the cabin. He heard James say "Good luck, Scooter."  
  
Scooter. Scott's nickname bestowed on him by his best friend from Alaska. In that other lifetime before the accident. His best friend Jimmy Jackson. Scott turned to look for Logan and was hit by what he thought was a medicine ball from the Institute gym, but the weight was all wrong - too light.  
  
His fighting instincts kicked in and he grabbed his "exercise equipment." - a small human dummy about 3 feet tall. Logan dragged him to the cabin door while Scott was still off balance and pushed his student out, following right behind.  
  
Scott realized this was a time for focus - he could sort out this person from his past once he was on the ground again. He shifted his dummy to his left hand so his right would be free to open the chute. He could feel stiffness to the dummy - it wasn't a rag doll - almost as if it had a backbone of some sort. It was then Scott noticed Logan also carried a dummy slightly larger then his own.  
  
Then it dawned on Scott that this was some kind of sick joke Logan was playing on him. A training exercise reliving his darkest day. They were exploring a 'what if' scenario. Plan A was what Scott dealt with everyday - Scott and Alex each with their own parachute, their parents sacrificing themselves to save the boys. Logan had somehow also thought of what Scott had recently dubbed plan B - which he stumbled on while reading the parachute guidelines in a flight safety manual. Scott realized he was playing the part of his mother holding a six-year-old boy; Logan was his father holding an eight- year-old boy.  
  
Scott watched Logan closely as the ground approaching quickly. He wanted to make sure he didn't miss the correct time to deploy the chute. He remembered Logan mentioning something about being a paratrooper in some military campaign - without any details as to which war.  
  
Logan then pulled his cord and disappeared from Scott's view. Scott pulled his own cord and felt the familiar jolt of the straps snapping him to a slower speed - not an experience that was high on his list to relive. He did not expect the jolt his left side took as his parachute deployed. Scott looked down and realized his dummy was not under his arm but was still traveling at freefall speed to the ground. He watched in horror as the figure got smaller and smaller then saw the telltale dust cloud appear.  
  
Scott struggled to get a view of Logan catching his instructor's back and waited while Logan's front slowly spun into view. Scott's eyes focused on the fact Logan still held his precious cargo and he immediately felt like a failure. He was unable to pass this test as he cast his eyes downward. He looked at Logan again, then noticed the dummy was bent over in a U shape over Logan's arm - whatever the 'spine' was made of had cracked - not a likely survival candidate either.  
  
Scott slowly processed the information he had just observed. The laws of physics were showing no mercy today. Without proper straps, neither parent would have accomplished what he recently thought of as plan B. Scott just witnessed the tragic results of what his father had already known. The parachutes he and Alex had used were not designed to carry more then one person.  
  
It still did not explain why there were only two parachutes in a plane carrying four people.  
  
As Scott came out of his haze he noticed the ground was very close now and prepared to land. Logan's training helped him avoid a pair of broken legs, but he still felt the wind get knocked out of him. As he tried to catch his breath, he saw a Jeep racing in from the distance.  
  
Logan walked up to Scott and quietly asked, "Are you OK?". Scott nodded yes as he still struggled to catch his breath.  
  
The jeep arrived and a middle aged man exited with a rather sour expression on his face. "Do you have any idea the kind of trouble my son and I could have gotten in today with your stunt? I've got half a mind to pummel you within an inch of your life!" Scott looked closely at the red-faced man giving his all at Logan. The hair was thinner - the belly bigger, more wrinkles around the eyes but it was him. Mr. Jackson - Jake Jason - his father's best friend from the Alaskan Air Force base.  
  
Logan was still gathering up his chute as he took in the verbal lashing from Jackson. As Jackson was running out of breath during his tirade, Logan said in a quiet voice, "Mr Jackson, I believe you already know this young man. . . ." Jake turned and looked Scott up and down. "I don't give a flying hoot a nanny. . . ." Suddenly the yelling stopped, the red color in his face drained out. Jackson scanned Scott's features slowly - his wavy chestnut hair, his high cheekbones and strong chin. "Who are you?" Jake asked cautiously.  
  
Logan gathered the other parachute from Scott and the other remnants of the experiment as he walked towards the Jeep.  
  
"Mr. Jackson - I'm Scott Summers - Nathan's son. I survived that crash. . . ." Then Scott fell silent.  
  
Jake's mouth moved slowly repeating Scott's statement. "But how did. . . When was. . . . I guess. . . ." Jake stammered and then he stood lost in his thoughts. After a minute, he managed to say, "I'm so sorry, son."  
  
"It's ok. I had it rough for a while in some orphanage but a new family found me and I live with them now over in Bayville." Scott said.  
  
Jake's expression was wracked with pain now. "I was supposed to take care of you and Alex if something happened. . . . We left on vacation the same time you did - real remote location. I had no idea of what happened until we got back - two weeks after. . . . I heard one of you made it and searched for you without any luck. I did manage to track your trail down at the ranger station, but the address of the orphanage given to the authorities was fake. I searched for you high and low, son, I dragged Jimmy with me everywhere, you can ask him. I promised your parents in case. . . . . but we never put in on paper. . . . . " Jackson fell to his knees "I promised. . . . ."  
  
Scott looked away and let his emotions run their course. How different things might have been growing up with the Jacksons. Living with his childhood friend instead of an orphanage. But he knew somehow he still would have found his way to Bayville, to the Institute.  
  
Jackson asked, "I know the ranger's guess at what happened. But I'd like to hear your version if it's ok."  
  
Scott slowly described what he could recall and what happened leading up to the shortage of parachutes. This last fact had nagged him - how could his father been so careless. This question was triggered while Scott was learning about preflight checklists.  
  
Jackson was confused, "Only two - that's not right - we packed eight - four on each side. In the cargo bins - Starboard front, Port back. Your father badgered me everyday for over a whole week for those."  
  
Details slowly drifted back to Scott. He remembered saying goodbye to the Jacksons at the plane the Summers would fly in. Jimmy, Alex and Scott had played tag on the runway while their fathers fussed in the plane. Then glimpses of the plane on that fateful night returned to him. Scott remembered the one side of the plane engulfed in flames - so eight parachutes had become four. Then he remembered his father's flight jacket was torn and melted in spots - and began to understand how four parachutes became two.  
  
They talked some more about the condition of the plane, the weather conditions and other details - trying to piece together what could have caused the fire. The plane had been worked on by the best crew in the base. Jake had reviewed all the maintenance logs himself - it was in top flight condition. Some questions were not going to be answered today - if ever.  
  
Scott left his scrambled thoughts to focus on Logan. He thought how could he ever repay his instructor for the lesson today and this reunion. And how was he going to apologize to Jean and Ororo for his inexcusable outburst.  
  
"Mr. Jackson - would it be okay if we went back to the airport to see Jimmy now?" Scott prompted softly. The young man reached out to Jake and helped him up. Logan was already in the driver's seat of the Jeep - Jake made no protest as Scott walked him to the passenger side. Jake gave Logan directions back to the camp. Scott could see Jackson sneaking glances at him in the rear view mirror as if to decide if the young man was just a ghost - not really there, but Scott pretended not to notice - hiding the direction of his eyes behind his red glasses.  
  
Jimmy was waiting for them outside the trailer. He walked up to his father first, with a clipboard and said, "I know you'll want to file this paperwork now, I'll get Scott's info and we can hook up soon."  
  
Jake turned to Scott one more time and Scott shook his hand firmly. "Thanks for everything, Mr. Jackson". Then Jake walked off to the office.  
  
Jimmy watched his father and noticed something was different - like a tremendous load had been lifted from Jake's shoulders. He knew how much his father hated paperwork - Jimmy was the bureaucrat in the family. His father needed to release in private. This had been a long eight years for the Jacksons.  
  
Scott and James caught up on details like cars, girls, sports and other important details of teenage life. They exchanged phone numbers and James promised to help Scott and Jean with their flying lessons. James shook hands with Logan promising if there was anything the Institute needed, Jackson's Jumpers could be counted on.  
  
Logan was in the driver's seat going back to the Institute. Scott was thankful for the time to rehash the roller coaster day he had just been through.  
  
"How long have you known the Jacksons were there?" Scott asked. Logan replied "Their business is only two weeks old. I have been renting time on planes for three years waiting for you to come to the conclusion we tested today. It was a miracle that you put the train of thought together at the same time the Jacksons set up shop. I've seen a lot of barnstorming crews come and go at that place. I noticed a picture of Jackson in Air Force gear on his desk in the back and he mentioned he served in Alaska around the time of the. . . . A little background check from some friends of mine helped piece the rest together."  
  
Logan pulled into the garage at the Institute. Scott sat in the car as the days events replayed in his head yet again. "C'mon - I'll walk you up to your room." Scott walked slowly up the stairs to with the older mutant.  
  
At the door to Scott's room, Logan reached out and held Scott's shoulder - "You now know somethings now you didn't before. It's time to forgive your parents and live up to the sacrifice they made for the two of you. And I know you, Scott. It's also time you forgive yourself for doubting your old man and his prep of the plane. It's a shame about Alex though."  
  
Logan paused and then worked up his courage. "Scott - have you ever cried over losing them?" Logan remembered nightmares and restless nights the boy had, but never heard tears from Scott's room. Scott slowly shook his head no. "Then do yourself a favor - let it out. Have a good cry and let the wounds begin to heal. I don't expect you to get over this completely today but you have to honor them. Be a great pilot like your dad, be the loving spouse and parent like your mom, be the big brother to someone in need - Make their sacrifice count for something."  
  
Scott nodded and went into his room. Logan walked off in search of Jean and Ororo.  
  
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Jean waited in the library as Logan reappeared. She could sense something was terribly wrong with Scott and got up to go see him. Logan held up a hand and said softly, "Let him be, Red. He needs this time alone right now - it's been a long time comin'"  
  
Logan walked to the window and looked out at the mansion grounds. Ororo walked up behind him and gave him a hug - she obviously knew what Logan had done for Scott ahead of time. Logan leaned his head against Ororo's for a moment then said, "I could really use a walk around the woods - anyone care to join me?" Jean could take the hint and walked to the door that lead outside. Logan whispered to her, "He'll want to see you later - don't worry. He'll let us know when he's ready."  
  
Please read and review - and send any grammar or spelling corrections  
  
Story is done - one set of author notes follows this. 


	3. Author's Notes

Honor Them  
  
Disclaimer - I don't own the X-Men or X-Men Evolution or any other iterations  
  
Author's notes:  
  
First I want to acknowledge some of the other authors who have also explored Scott's feelings about the plane crash. I have enjoyed their work but thought I would take a different tack instead of it being a Jean/Scott or JOTT story.  
  
Regarding the details of the parachutes - I'm not a certified pilot or jumper by any means - this is just drivel that spilled out of my head onto this website. If you are better versed in these details - please feel free to send me an email with info and I'll do my best to correct.  
  
Regarding the accident: The Evolution episode Dark Cauldron part 2 shows Scott and Alex each with their own parachutes as they jump. This explains how Scott and Alex get separated - Scott thinking his brother perished after landing. Doing research on the comic book websites I found panels showing Scott and Alex attached to the same parachute so they are rescued together. An evil character called Mr. Sinister separates them at the orphanage.  
  
I got the idea for this story thinking what if each parent had a parachute and held one of the boys. Without the proper gear to strap a second person ie the child to chute, there was no way the adult would have the strength to hold onto a child when the parachute opened. The kinetic energy stored in a child's body traveling at high speeds is too great to overcome with normal human strength when the parachute deploys.  
  
I also took major liberties in selecting the ages of Scott and Alex at the time of the accident since I can't find any reference to their ages anywhere. I have set Scott's age at eight and Alex at six at the time of the accident. This story takes place when Scott is sixteen - when only he and Jean are the students at the Institute.  
  
Two final notes - I totally stole this idea from the ending of the movie Saving Private Ryan - when Tom Hanks tells Matt Damon to 'earn this.'  
  
And a personal note - my own father died when I was 16. It took three years for me to finally cry over that loss - I didn't want to be perceived as weak - MY family was going through a different crisis and I thought I had other priorities at the time. Now I make it a point to tell friends when they lose a loved one to have a good cry - let it out. I was terribly miserable for those three years - not allowing myself to move on.  
  
I hope you enjoyed the story - It was the first fanfic I ever wrote and have posted others before it - but I finally decided to post it after Veteran's Day. 


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